Headlines for Sunday, April 28, 2013

Halo Dolly returned to winning form when teamed with Rafael Bejarano for the first time April 28, scoring a 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT) on firm turf at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Trainer Bob Baffert sent out Kentucky Oaks hopeful Midnight Lucky and potential Kentucky Derby starter Code West together April 28 at Churchill Downs. He expects to make a call April 29 on his Derby starters.

With last year's Kentucky Derby victory of I'll Have Another still fresh in their minds, members of Team O'Neill were back at Churchill Downs the morning of April 28 in search of a repeat performance with Goldencents.

Rick Porter has seen both Hard Spun and Eight Belles finish second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). He's hoping Normandy Invasion can make his patented late run to get to the Derby wire first.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities should quickly consider a ban on the use of anabolic steroids for horses in training, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said April 28.

Flu season for horses can be any season. And considering that even horses vaccinated against the equine influenza virus (EIV) can still &ldquo;catch the flu,&rdquo; this disease is cause for concern. A group of Japanese researchers, however, recently evaluated a flu inhibitor in horses and found that it could help EIV-infected animals recover more quickly.

In what he surely hopes is an omen for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) a week hence, trainer Todd Pletcher takes the exacta in the Derby Trial on opening night at rainy Churchill Downs April 27.